"New" 2n

[MitchellB]

I'd love to see some pictures as you progress along on this project. Very interesting so far.

 

[Eyecatcher]

I'll get some pix this afternoon. Right now I have a poser I hope someone can enlighten me. Got everything together, radiator installed and backed it out of the barn. Still got a drip from the carb, I'll worry that one out later. The 3 point goes up and down. I'm delighted! But - tried to check and see if alternator was working (no gauge yet). If the motor is not running, measure 12V+ across the battery. As soon as it starts, the meter goes crazy. Has to be the points closing, but how can that reflect back onto the battery? I installed a new solenoid, ungrounded coil. Cable comes off the +side of the battery to one side of solenoid. That post has a jumper over to one side of the solenoid coil, and a jumper to the ignition switch. The other side of the solenoid coil goes to the start switch, which provides a ground. Off of the opposite side of the solenoid is the cable to the starter. The on position of the ignition switch goes to the ignition coil. I don't understand how the points closing can cause a complete voltage drop across the battery (DVM is directly across the battery, and alternator is disconnected). Even tried a different battery - no change. Tried putting a diode in the lead from the ign switch to the coil - it won't run.

 

[MitchellB]

Is there a spark plug wire or ??? shorting to ground?

 

[Eyecatcher]

I sure can't find anything! Went back and redid my battery cable ground - no help. I'm sure open to all suggestions. Don't see how anything can be wrong in thee distributor, new points, condenser and coil. New plug wires.

 

[Eyecatcher]

Soundguy- I just read an article on ntractor that you authored, where you indicate there needs to be a 1/2ohm 20 watt resister in series with the 12v power wire to the coil on a front mount distributor. Is this my problem?

 

[Soundguy]

Soundguy- I just read an article on ntractor that you authored, where you indicate there needs to be a 1/2ohm 20 watt resister in series with the 12v power wire to the coil on a front mount distributor. Is this my problem?

in a 12v system, a 12v 2.5 ohm front mount coil needs the oem ballast resistor behind the dash

in a 6v system, a 6v 1ish ohm front mount coil needs the oem ballast resistor behind the dash

in a 12v system, a 6v 1ish ohm front mount coil needs the oem ballast resistor behind the dash PLUS an additional resistor. about half an ohm usually works out ok .. something like an 8ne10306 or you can also put an inline ammeter in and choose a resistor that gets you in the 3.x amp neighborhood

 

[Soundguy]

um.. i'm confused reading some stuff here.

the 2n does not use a solenoid.

it has a manual start swtich mounted onto the back of the steering column, actuated by a jiggle stick thru the trans , starting at a mechanical thumb button ont he trans cover.

what do you have?

 

[Eyecatcher]

I'm still a little confused on the resistor question. The entire electrical system on this tractor was a mess. Someone had tried to convert it over to an alternator/12v system and had pretty well bungled it up. The existing resistor/terminal board was completely destroyed. There was a wire wound ceramic resistor (after market) screwed to the back of the dash, but wasn't connected. The serial # on the engine, as far as I can tell, makes it a 1945 2N, but it is a 4 spd xmission, and has the shift for the hydraulics that go from draft control to position control, so I guess that makes it an 8N. It has a front mount distributor, which I removed and reworked so that the advance weights are free, and installed new points and condenser and plug wires. Cap and rotor look ok. I wanted to retain the gear interlock for the start switch, so I installed a new solenoid that has an ungrounded coil. The start switch applies a ground to one end of the coil to activate. This start switch I don't think has the jiggle stick, rather has a rod straight down to not allow it to be activated if any gear is selected. I'm not sure of that, I didn't pull the shift cover. Back to the resistor. I purchased and installed a new square coil that mounts atop the front distributor. It was in a pkg that indicated 12V, however it isn't marked. From what I'm reading above, the internal resistance of that coil s/b 2.5 ohms. Where is that measured? There are three terminals, the power input post, the spring, and a flat spring that makes contact with the rotor feed. I don't know what value the original ballast resistor was, but I did go to radio shack and get the 2-1 ohm 10 watt resistors (to be paralleled to = 1/2 ohm)your article said to add, I'm assuming in series with the 12v power lead to the coil. I hope this all makes sense!

 

[Soundguy]

well. you have an 8n with a 2n engine. so it's darn confusing when you ask for help for your 2n, as there are plenty of differences in a 2n and 8n.

all N engiens swap, and all the frontmounts are shoe ins as long as you change out the throttle stuff.. etc.

with a 4 spd trans, you have the 8n setup for igntion and starting.

since you don't have a 6v coil.. not sure why you bought he 1/2 ohm resistor setup.

if i were you i'd go get a real dash resistor for that 12v coil.

if you wanted to measure the coil primary, that's top post to coil spring. secondary is top post to flat tab. primary is in ohms, secondary is in k-ohms

 

[Eyecatcher]

Sorry about the designation mixup. This is my first exposure to the "N" series. I started this thread under the assumption that I had a 2N because of the S/N.
I guess I'd better start a new thread with a different title. Meanwhile, is the problem I'm experiencing as I described in my post #22 (the bouncing DVM) caused by thie missing resistor, or do I have another problem?